AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition CPU - bit-tech.net Forums

Sifter3000 · 2nd Jul 2009, 11:25

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpu...n-cpu-review/1

AMD's Phenom II goes from strength to strength, and this new dual core Black Edition CPU promises some large overclocks for very little cash. Is it enough to take on Intel's 45nm Wolfdale and become our recommendation for a bargain buy?

Hustler · 2nd Jul 2009, 11:41

Lol.....my new build Pc components have just arrived this morning, which is based around this 550 CPU...

AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 550 3.10GHz Black Edition

Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 4850 1GB GDDR3

Gigabyte GA-M720-US3 (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache

OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 Dual Channel

Coolermaster Elite 335 Case - Black

Pioneer DVR-217FBK 22x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer LabelFlash ReWriter

Akasa AK-876 CPU Cooler

Akasa AK-455 Thermal Compound

All in it came to £403......

All the bits are just sitting there on my desk, looking at me,and as this is my first ever build, im a bit nervous about starting to build it...

With a (hopefully) stable overclock to 3.5ghz, i dont think you can really do better for a budget gaming machine in the £400 price range....

I looked at going the Intel route, but i just like the look of these new dual cores from AMD.

Burnout21 · 2nd Jul 2009, 11:50

Dare i say AMD has been doing rather well, with its recession friendly CPU's, alot of bang for the money, this is classic AMD all the way back to the legend of the 2500XP+ and XP-M both of which i loved.

There DDR2 days sucked, i dont know what was going on with them its as if funding in R&D was lacking and simple making the K8 use DDR2 was hardly a fix.

Well done AMD, maybe they'll do a classic marketing scheme like they did with the opty 144 and 165, put extremely good cores in the cheap ones, selling buckets of them and win in the long run. I can see alot of X2 550 suddenly becoming very unlockable and a sort over purchase! ATI 4770 anyone?

Gremlin · 2nd Jul 2009, 13:21

I've had the 550 since 2 days after it come out and i was blown away by just how well it performs and just how high it can overclock (Ive had it running game but not prime stable at 4.1) its also a very bloody cool running chip even when overclocked if your cooler is half decent

Glad to see bit agrees and give it the recommended award!

trig · 2nd Jul 2009, 13:24

anyone getting better overclocks? i was a little disappointed after what the 250 achieved. based on this review looks like the 250 is the better bang for the buck by a good margin.

edit:
and the price you guys have is off. the link is to newegg, and they have it at $114.99.

Gremlin · 2nd Jul 2009, 13:38

As seen here dude the L3 cache gives it a boost over the 250, its not about raw clocks alone with the L3 playing its part

but with decent cooling yeah you can push it higher as seen here http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/52...-550-club.html

Bindibadgi · 2nd Jul 2009, 14:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by trig

edit:
and the price you guys have is off. the link is to newegg, and they have it at $114.99.

The price has changed overnight

storm20200 · 2nd Jul 2009, 14:20

God dammit! Every time I think I'll give intel a go you guys always slap me in the face with these Phenom II reviews >.< Guess I'm staying with AMD forever lol

On a more serious note: When is issue 72 of CPC out? I fancy reading the MSI review.

Sifter3000 · 2nd Jul 2009, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by storm20200

On a more serious note: When is issue 72 of CPC out? I fancy reading the MSI review.

Thursday, 23rd July 2009.

storm20200 · 2nd Jul 2009, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sifter3000

Thursday, 23rd July 2009.

Thanks, I just opened my eyes and checked the magazine discussion forum when you replied DOH!

Bindibadgi · 2nd Jul 2009, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by storm20200

Thanks, I just opened my eyes and checked the magazine discussion forum when you replied DOH!

Mr.Editor over there is literally just editing the labs content this afternoon. (with a biiiiig cup of caffeine LOL

) /pokes Alex

Dave_M · 2nd Jul 2009, 15:19

Would still have liked to see overclocked power consumption. It is a black edition after all

Would just be interesting to see how much it goes up by.

trig · 2nd Jul 2009, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gremlin

As seen here dude the L3 cache gives it a boost over the 250, its not about raw clocks alone with the L3 playing its part

but with decent cooling yeah you can push it higher as seen here http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/52...-550-club.html

yeah, i get that dude...what i am saying is it is not an impressive oc considering the 250 got 3.9, and again, the performance increase doesnt warrant the 25-30% price difference..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

The price has changed overnight

those bastages!

edit:
on a side note, i checked that link...would love to see the performance of the 550 with 2 cores unlocked at 4.1 ghz...

does the 250 have the ability to unlock cores?

docodine · 3rd Jul 2009, 02:52

It has the potential to unlock cores, but don't count on it happening every time, and only with certain mobos.

I recommended this chip to a couple people in build advice threads, and it definitely used to be under $100 on Newegg... Tiger Direct has it for $109, not much better. Hopefully the price will go back down?

Also, you guys definitely need to snag a decent AM3 cooler.

dmv915 · 3rd Jul 2009, 05:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by trig

does the 250 have the ability to unlock cores?

Quote:

Originally Posted by docodine

It has the potential to unlock cores, but don't count on it happening every time, and only with certain mobos.

Actually the 250 doesn't have the ability to unlock cores since it is a true dual core. Only the phenom IIs have the ability to do that since they are all based off of a four core chip.

trig · 3rd Jul 2009, 07:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmv915

Actually the 250 doesn't have the ability to unlock cores since it is a true dual core. Only the phenom IIs have the ability to do that since they are all based off of a four core chip.

if thats the case, then i change my tune...i'll spend the extra dough, and happily...

KayDat · 3rd Jul 2009, 07:48

Yep, that's what I thought as well. I just recently (couple of weeks) built a system based on the 550 as well. I'm surprised the review didn't actually attempt the quad core unlock. I suppose it would make the article more future proof, after all as time goes on, the probability of getting a chip that can unlock to quad lessens, but still. I found that when unlocked, the chip runs perfectly stable. Haven't gotten around to overclocking while on quad, but priliminary investigation shows that it doesn't overclock quite as well as when in dual core; surpise surprise. But I guess you can switch back and forth if you really wanted to =P

an4rew · 6th Jul 2009, 00:45

I was thinking of getting one, good work from AMD but i went for the X3 720 because the third core is better for my use.

Overclocked it gives the E8400 a run for the money.

Krayzie_B.o.n.e. · 2nd Aug 2009, 06:30

I just bought a Phenom II X2 550 B.E. as an upgrade from an AMD 7750 B.E. and I have to say that this is my last AMD. I'm not impressed with this chip at all. Especially seeing how the Athlon X2 250 is just as fast! My chip didn't even unlock so there isn't any WOW factor to me even having this paper weight. So just save your $99 and put it towards a Core I7 which completely blows a Phenom II X4 955 BE completly off a wafer. I OC it to 3.98 ghz stable but I don't know it just doesnt seem that much better.

Elton · 2nd Aug 2009, 07:32

I've always wondered why people want the i7 when there's a perfectly good Q9550..

2nd Jul 2009, 11:25	#1
Sifter3000 Editor @ CPC bit-tech Staff Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The South Sea Bubble Posts: 753	AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition CPU http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpu...n-cpu-review/1 AMD's Phenom II goes from strength to strength, and this new dual core Black Edition CPU promises some large overclocks for very little cash. Is it enough to take on Intel's 45nm Wolfdale and become our recommendation for a bargain buy? __________________ Alex Watson. CPC and bit-tech. My weblog is The Wired Jester. Photos on Flickr.

2nd Jul 2009, 11:50	#3
Burnout21 is true bit-techer! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nott's Posts: 4,852	Dare i say AMD has been doing rather well, with its recession friendly CPU's, alot of bang for the money, this is classic AMD all the way back to the legend of the 2500XP+ and XP-M both of which i loved. There DDR2 days sucked, i dont know what was going on with them its as if funding in R&D was lacking and simple making the K8 use DDR2 was hardly a fix. Well done AMD, maybe they'll do a classic marketing scheme like they did with the opty 144 and 165, put extremely good cores in the cheap ones, selling buckets of them and win in the long run. I can see alot of X2 550 suddenly becoming very unlockable and a sort over purchase! ATI 4770 anyone? __________________ DFI P45-T2RS Plus, Q6600, 4GB Reaper HPC, GTX280 & FX3450, X-Fi Xtreme Music, 1570GB Storage

2nd Jul 2009, 13:24	#5
trig sweet sweet hangin joben Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: cardboard box outside of sears Posts: 1,638	anyone getting better overclocks? i was a little disappointed after what the 250 achieved. based on this review looks like the 250 is the better bang for the buck by a good margin. edit: and the price you guys have is off. the link is to newegg, and they have it at $114.99. __________________ I love me some me e8400 @ 4.45 ghz..ac freezer 7..2 gigs patriot extreme 1150 mhz..abit ip35-pro..xfx 4770 with asus top bios @ 926 core/1077 memory..antec p182b..corsair hx620..seagate 500 gb 32mb cache THE best site ever...1600 signatures under the same avatar...time for a new one Last edited by trig; 2nd Jul 2009 at 13:34.

3rd Jul 2009, 02:52	#14
docodine Ultramodder Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,494	It has the potential to unlock cores, but don't count on it happening every time, and only with certain mobos. I recommended this chip to a couple people in build advice threads, and it definitely used to be under $100 on Newegg... Tiger Direct has it for $109, not much better. Hopefully the price will go back down? Also, you guys definitely need to snag a decent AM3 cooler. __________________ Armagetron Advanced! ~~[ Cooler Master Elite 310 \| Intel E5200 \| Zotac 9600GT \| broken MSI G31 mobo \| Corsair 2x2GB DDR2-667 ]~~

2nd Aug 2009, 07:32	#20
Elton A Monitor Afficionado.. Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: California Posts: 2,008	I've always wondered why people want the i7 when there's a perfectly good Q9550.. __________________ EP45-UD3P\|HIS HD4850 ICE-Q 4 Turbo @ 690/1090\|4GB G.Skill DDR2-800 @ 844mhz\|HAF932\|Antec True Power Trio 550w\|E8400@3.8Ghz FSB:421 Volt: Stock\|Vortex 752(Heatsink)\|Mitsubishi/NEC LCD1860NX Other Build: ECS RS400-A\|Prescott P4 @ 3.45Ghz\|2GB DDR2 533\|OEM ATi X1600XT\|Dynex 430w\|Some Random Case\|Mitsubishi 20" Diamondtron Pro

2nd Jul 2009, 11:41	#2
Hustler Multimodder Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Dark Side Posts: 115	Lol.....my new build Pc components have just arrived this morning, which is based around this 550 CPU... AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 550 3.10GHz Black Edition Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 4850 1GB GDDR3 Gigabyte GA-M720-US3 (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 Dual Channel Coolermaster Elite 335 Case - Black Pioneer DVR-217FBK 22x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer LabelFlash ReWriter Akasa AK-876 CPU Cooler Akasa AK-455 Thermal Compound All in it came to £403...... All the bits are just sitting there on my desk, looking at me,and as this is my first ever build, im a bit nervous about starting to build it... With a (hopefully) stable overclock to 3.5ghz, i dont think you can really do better for a budget gaming machine in the £400 price range.... I looked at going the Intel route, but i just like the look of these new dual cores from AMD.

2nd Jul 2009, 13:21	#4
Gremlin Multimodder Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 233	I've had the 550 since 2 days after it come out and i was blown away by just how well it performs and just how high it can overclock (Ive had it running game but not prime stable at 4.1) its also a very bloody cool running chip even when overclocked if your cooler is half decent Glad to see bit agrees and give it the recommended award!

2nd Jul 2009, 13:38	#6
Gremlin Multimodder Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 233	As seen here dude the L3 cache gives it a boost over the 250, its not about raw clocks alone with the L3 playing its part but with decent cooling yeah you can push it higher as seen here http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/52...-550-club.html

2nd Jul 2009, 15:19	#12
Dave_M Minimodder Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 36	Would still have liked to see overclocked power consumption. It is a black edition after all Would just be interesting to see how much it goes up by.

3rd Jul 2009, 07:48	#17
KayDat Minimodder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Posts: 27	Yep, that's what I thought as well. I just recently (couple of weeks) built a system based on the 550 as well. I'm surprised the review didn't actually attempt the quad core unlock. I suppose it would make the article more future proof, after all as time goes on, the probability of getting a chip that can unlock to quad lessens, but still. I found that when unlocked, the chip runs perfectly stable. Haven't gotten around to overclocking while on quad, but priliminary investigation shows that it doesn't overclock quite as well as when in dual core; surpise surprise. But I guess you can switch back and forth if you really wanted to =P

6th Jul 2009, 00:45	#18
an4rew System Builder Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: N. Ireland Posts: 57	I was thinking of getting one, good work from AMD but i went for the X3 720 because the third core is better for my use. Overclocked it gives the E8400 a run for the money.

2nd Aug 2009, 06:30	#19
Krayzie_B.o.n.e. Minimodder Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 34	I just bought a Phenom II X2 550 B.E. as an upgrade from an AMD 7750 B.E. and I have to say that this is my last AMD. I'm not impressed with this chip at all. Especially seeing how the Athlon X2 250 is just as fast! My chip didn't even unlock so there isn't any WOW factor to me even having this paper weight. So just save your $99 and put it towards a Core I7 which completely blows a Phenom II X4 955 BE completly off a wafer. I OC it to 3.98 ghz stable but I don't know it just doesnt seem that much better.